Mark Levinson No 33-H Owners manual
Operating Manual
Mark Levinson
Nº 33H
Monaural
Power Amplifier
®
Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.
Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown left) indicates compliance of this device with the EMC
(Electromagnetic Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the
European Community.
The information contained in the manual is subject to change without notice. The most current version of this manual will
be posted on our web site at http://www.madrigal.com.
2
Important Safety Instructions
Please read all instructions and precautions carefully and completely before operating your Mark Levinson
power amplifier.
1. ALWAYS disconnect your entire system from the AC mains before connecting or disconnecting
any cables, or when cleaning any component.
2. This product must be terminated with a three-conductor AC mains power cord which includes
an ear th ground connection. To prevent shock hazard, all three connections must ALWAYS be
used.
3. AC extension cords are not recommended for use with this product.
4. NEVER use flammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning audio components.
5. NEVER operate this product with any covers removed.
6. NEVER wet the inside of this product with any liquid.
7. NEVER pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit.
8. NEVER block air flow through ventilation slots or heatsinks.
9. NEVER bypass any fuse.
®
10. NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specified.
11. NEVER attempt to repair this product. If a problem occurs, contact your Mark Levinson® re-
tailer.
12. NEVER expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures.
13. NEVER operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.
14. ALWAYS keep electrical equipment out of the reach of children.
15. ALWAYS unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.
3
From all of us at Madrigal Audio Laboratories, thank you for choosing the
Mark Levinson Nº33H Monaural Power Amplifier.
A great deal of effort went into the design and construction of this precision
device. Used properly, it will give you many years of enjoyment.
4
Table of Contents
Unpacking the Nº33H ................................................................................. 6
Handling the
Shipping Crate ................................................................................................... 6
Unpacking Procedure ....................................................................................... 6
Warm up/break-in period.................................................................................8
Placement Considerations ........................................................................ 9
Ventilation ........................................................................................................... 9
Operating Voltage .................................................................................... 10
Nº33H rear-panel label ............................................................................ 11
Special Design Features........................................................................... 12
Massive Power Supply ..................................................................................... 12
AC Regeneration ............................................................................................. 12
Fully balanced design.....................................................................................13
True Voltage Source ........................................................................................ 13
Extensive Protection ........................................................................................13
Front Panel ................................................................................................. 15
Rear Panel ................................................................................................. 16
Remote turn-on
tip polarity ................................................................................................. 18
Care & Maintenance ................................................................................ 21
U.S. and Canadian Warranty ................................................................... 22
90-Day Limited Warranty ................................................................................. 22
Five Year Extended Warranty ......................................................................... 22
Obtaining Service ..................................................................................... 23
Specifications............................................................................................ 24
Dimensions: Nº33H.................................................................................... 25
Installation Notes ...................................................................................... 26
5
U n pac k i n g th e Nº33H
Handling the
Shipping Crate
Warning! Under no circumstances should you consider unpacking your
The shipping weight of each of your Nº33H Monaural Power Amplifiers is approximately 220 pounds (100 kg). Any freight this massive must be handled with
extreme care to avoid injury. At least two strong people are required to unpack
the Nº33H amplifiers safely once they have been delivered to the appropriate location in their shipping crates.
Included with your new Mark Levinson amplifier is two pairs of knit, white
gloves designed to assist you in the initial unpacking and placement of your new
purchase. Please accept them as a token of our appreciation for having purchased
one of our products.
amplifiers without adequate assistance, as both personal
injury and damage to the product is likely unless you follow
the procedures listed below.
The shipping crates used for transporting the Nº33H power amplifiers should be
kept upright (as indicated by the arrows on the outside of the crates) at all times
during the unpacking procedure.
Save all packing material for future use. In the event that you need to ship your
Nº33H amplifiers, only their original, purpose-designed shipping crates are acceptable. Any other method of shipping these heavy products will almost certainly result in damage to the amplifiers.
Unpacking Procedure The shipping crates for your amplifiers are modular in design to facilitate the
packing and unpacking of these massive products. Nonetheless, there is no escaping the fact that these amplifiers are heavy.
Caution! Do not attempt to lift the Nº33H from its packing crate alone.
Never attempt to lift a Nº33H power amplifier while bending
from the waist.
Always stand as straight as possible and use your leg muscles
to lift the amplifier.
Never attempt to lift the entire amplifier at one time (even with
tw o people). Instead, always lift either one end or th e o ther,
leaving the remaining end to be supported by the base of
the shipping crate or the floor.
6
To safely unpack the Nº33H amplifier:
1 CAREFULLY CUT THE NYLON STRAPPING AROUND THE CRATE
These straps may be under some tension, and the ends may snap outward
when that tension is first released. Stand to one side when cutting each nylon strap to avoid any chance of the strap contacting you.
2 REMOVE ALL SCREWS HOLDING THE TOP OF THE CRATE TO THE BASE
Remove and save these screws, which secure the top of the crate to the
base. (Save all shipping materials for possible future use.)
3 LIFT OFF THE TOP OF THE CRATE, AND SET IT ASIDE
Lift the top of the crate up and off the base and the Nº33H, taking care not
to remove it to the side until you have cleared the top of the amplifier itself..
4 USING A RATCHETED SOCKET WRENCH, REMOVE THE FOUR BOLTS
HOLDING THE Nº33H TO THE BASE OF THE CRATE
The Nº33H is attached to the base of its shipping crate with four bolts, accessible from underneath the pallet on which it sits. These bolts attach directly to the bottom of the feet of the Nº33H from underneath, and have
9
⁄16" hexagonal heads. Using a ratcheted socket wrench, remove these four
bolts from underneath each amplifier.
5 REMOVE THE WOODEN RETAINING BAR FROM THE FRONT OF THE BASE
Two more bolts with 9⁄16" hexagonal heads hold this retainer in place. Remove the bolts and the retaining bar and set them aside.
7 WITH AT LEAST TWO STRONG PEOPLE, CAREFULLY SLIDE THE Nº33H FOR-
WARD, OFF THE CRATE’S BASE AND ONTO THE FLOOR
Unders tand this step completely before attempting it. The Nº3 3H is
extremely heavy and must be handled with great care to avoid possible
personal injury or damage to the unit when attempting to lift it.
Before you remove the Nº33H from its shipping crate’s base, you may also
want to take measures to protect delicate flooring from possible damage.
With two people at the front of the amplifier to support its weight, carefully
slide the amplifier forward. (A third person may be needed to hold the
crate bottom in place as the amplifier is slid forward.) As the front of the
amplifier clears the front edge of the crate, you must begin to support the
weight of the front half of the amplifier. There is a “handle” built into the
sculpted faceplate for this purpose, just above the Mark Levinson logo. Alternatively, you may also grip the front heatsinks. While supporting the front of
the amplifier, continue sliding the amplifier forward until the center section
of the amplifier has cleared the edge of the crate’s base. The front of the
amplifier may then be lowered gently to the floor.
7
With the amplifier supported by the floor in the front and the crate in the
rear, both people should move to the rear of the amplifier. Gripping the rear
heatsinks, lift the rear end of the amplifier and slide the base of the crate
away. (A third person is helpful in this, if available.) Gently lower the rear of
the amplifier to the floor.
Congratulations. The hard part is over.
After unpacking your Nº33H power amplifiers, keep all packing materials for
future transport. Sh ipment of the amplifier without the orig inal packing material will almost certainly result in damage, and is not recommended.
Carefully inspect your amplifier for possible damage. If you discover any, see your
Mark Levinson dealer immediately.
Important: When it comes to high current AC wiring such as the Nº33H
will typically use, building regulations and electrical codes
vary from region to region (sometimes even from one
municipality to the next). For this reason, it is impossible for us
to anticipate the requirements of your area with regard to
high current AC hookups. Please review this manual’s section
on Operating Voltage and contact a local electrical
contractor for advice on connecting your Nº33H to the AC
mains power in your area.
Warm up/break-in period Although your Mark Levinson Nº33H monaural power amplifiers deliver out-
standing performance straight out of their boxes, you should expect to hear them
continue to improve as they reaches their normal operating temperatures and
various components “break-in.” It has been our experience that the greatest
changes occur within the first 25-50 hours, but that the amplifiers will continue to
improve in sound quality for about 300 hours, after which time they remain quite
constant.
The only exception to this rule is if power is removed from the units, allowing
them to cool down. In this case you should expect a brief warm-up period before the amplifiers’ sound quality is at their best. (Fortunately, you will never have
to repeat the full 300 hour break-in period.)
8
Pl ac e m en t C onside r at ions
PRECAUTION
For your protection, review “Important Safety Instructions” and
“Operating Voltage” before you install your Nº33H.
Your Mark Levinson Nº33H power amplifiers are specifically designed to stand on
the floor, and must be used as freestanding units. In most installations, locating
them near the loudspeakers is best. Obviously, this approach minimizes the
length of the speaker wires and necessitates longer interconnecting cables from
the preamplifier to the power amplifiers. The advantage to this strategy lies in the
fact that the interconnecting cables carry low-current signals which are more
readily transmitted over distances with great accuracy than are the necessarily
high current signals re quired by louds p eakers .
Note that adequate clearance for the AC cord and connecting signal cables must
be left behind each Nº33H. We suggest leaving at least six inches (15 cm) of free
space behind each Nº33H so that all cables have sufficient room to bend without
crimping or undue strain.
Each amplifier should also be placed in such a way that the power switch on the
rear panel is easily accessible. This switch disconnects power from even the supervisory power supply, resulting in effective disconnection of the amplifier from
the AC mains. (Note that under these conditions, the amplifier cannot respond to
remote-turn-on commands, etc.)
Ventilation Your Mark Levinson Nº33H power amplifiers have been designed to complement
your listening room visually, with a tall and narrow frontal area which reduces
their effective “footprint” and makes them far more presentable than would be
the case with a more traditionally proportioned design. As a result, they can be
more easily placed beside your loudspeakers. As freestanding units, the Nº33H
amplifiers normally will have no problem with ventilation.
Each of your Nº33H power amplifiers dissipate approximately 400 watts of energy as heat when “at idle.” It is therefore normal and perfectly safe for them to
run warm. They do, however, require free air flow around them to allow adequate
heat dissipation through air circulation. The top plate and heatsinks of the Nº33H
must be kept free from any obstruction which would reduce the free flow of air.
If your amplifier must be located inside an enclosure of some sort that restricts
airflow, we strongly advise using some fans to increase ventilation through the
enclosed space. If the amplifiers become too warm to touch, they are receiving
inadequate ventilation. While they are fully protected against overheating, no one
enjoys interrupted listening sessions.
Mechanical drawings are included in this manual to facilitate special installations
and custom enclosures where necessary (see “Dimensions” at the end of this
manual).
9
Loading...